Not every student makes it through high school. And those who don’t have
a high school degree often have a hard time getting a job and earn less
money when they do.

That’s why the City School District of Albany
has a free program to help students who didn’t finish high school
prepare for the state’s high-school equivalency exam.

Test prep classes will be held from 4:30-6:30
p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at Tony Clement Center for Education,
395 Elk St. Classes begin Sept. 11, with ongoing enrollment throughout
the school year.

Each student will receive personalized
instruction that is tailored to meet his or her individual needs.
Instruction is done by a certified teacher who works with students to
overcome their challenges so they can successfully pass the exam and
earn a high-school equivalency diploma.

Class size is limited to 15. You must take the test-prep class in order
to take the test. A student’s level of preparedness will determine
when he or she can take the test. Tentative exam dates are
scheduled in December and June.

About the
test

The exam, called the
Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), replaced the GED in 2002 as
the only free exam leading to a high school equivalency diploma from the
state.